Spring coil handling apparatus



Aug- 23, 1938. F. N. scHlNDLl-:R

SPRING' COIL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2l, v195'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1lAug. 23, 193s. F. N. SCHINDLE'R 2,128,057

SPRING COIL HANDLING APPARATUS Patented Aug. 23, 1938 UNITED ,STATES.2,128,057 SPRING con. HANDLINGv APPARATUS j Frank N. Schindler,Chicago, llll., assignor tof A. 4Brandwein ;& Co., Chicago, Illarcorporation of Illinois Application January 21, 1937, Serial Nor'121,605

12-o1aims. toiles-,131) f `This invention relates to conveying devicesand particularly to novel means for conveying spring coilsl throughtreating venclosures such, -for -example, as ovens or the like forheating Athe coils during the process of tempering.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel conveyor constructionwhereby the spring coils may be carried ythrough the oven in spaced orseparated relation with `respect to each other.

v`Another object of -the'present invention is'to provide novel means forconveying spring coils through a tempering oven separately and in spacedrelation and in a manner to subject all the coils to substantially thesame heat treatment. Another object of the invention is to provideavnovel feeding or loading arrangement for -delivering sprin'gcoils toythe 'conveyor in a manner to be engaged thereby adjacentone'end portionof thel coils and for automatically removing the coilsone at a time fromthe feeding means.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means operativelyrelated to the conveyor for Iretaining the spring coils in desiredposition wherebyl the coils are subjected to substantially uniform heattreatment during their passage through the oven, thereby producinglasubstantially uniform product.

A further object of the invention `is to lprovide novel'rheans 'fordisengaging'the spring coils from the'conveyor after passing vthroughthe oven and directing them away from the conveyor.

vA still further object ofthe invention is to improve devices of thecharacter described `in sundry details hereinafter referred to andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

One `embodiment of the present invention is shown for illustrativepurposes in the accompanying drawings, ln which:

`Fig'. 1 is va longitudinal sectional elevational v'iew ofaternperingoven illustrating the application ofmy improved conveyingmeans 'thereto andillustrating also the `application of improved feedingand discharge means in relation *to said conveying means; y n

VvFig. 2 is a plan sectional view o'f the structure illustrated in Fig.l, and taken substantially as indicated by the line 2-'2 thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational VView illustrating a portion .of thetempering oven in 'section ,and showing the feeding and conveying means`as viewed on :the line -33 vofFig. l;

Fig. 4 is -an enlarged fragmentary :elevational -view of va portion ofthe yfeeding means in relation to myiimproved conveyor, showingalportion of the conveyor `infchanged `position as indicated by dottedlines, and illustrating the manner 'of removing the spring coils fromthe feedingor loading means; I f 'I Fig. 5 is lan enlargedsectional'elevationalview of a `portion/of they discharge meanstakensubstantiallyas indicated bytheline '5-5 of Fig; 3;; Fig. 6 is an inside`elevational -vi'ew of a portion of the structure illustrated 'in 5,and'taken substantially as indi ate-djbytheiline 6-'6 thereofi-and 1 fFig. 7 4is' an enlarged -transverselsectional Lelevational viewtake'nsubstantially as indicated `by the line "I-l-of Figli'. n r

The present' invention is particularly vwell adapted foruse inthetreatment of spring coils such, for example, 1 as fcoils" for "mattressconstruction, beds or other articlesof Afurniture, Aand vis shown inthe` present instance as related to a tempering oven indicated, asaw-hol'e, Aby 2vthe numeral I I, having heat'ing'units ltherein shown,in the present instance, as gas fbufrnersflla, land provided withan-i-nlet openingandfa discharge opening I2 and y13,;respecti'velyl"I vV The lconveyor is 'shown in the y'present`-i1nstance as of a ilexiblelink belt ror chain '-type indic'a'ted, asa whole, byjthe numeral I4 andsuitably trained over sprocketgwheelsA I5, I6, I1', I 8,"I9 andZI bywhich the various r'uns'of the conveyor `are -directed through the ovenI`I', land adjacent Asuitable feeding and discharge means indicated, asawhole and respectively, bythe numerals `22` and 23, `the sprocket'I5"being show-n in "thepr'esent instance, as `mounted on a d'riveshaft24 having a sprocket 25 outside theoven and adapted to'beconnected by`'means of a chain 26 or other suitable .driving means witha suitable'source of'po'wer =a`s, for example, an electric motor, engine or thelike,

not shown., v Suitablyvmounted atopposite sides of theconveyor I4 and,extending Isubstantially `parallel ,thereto `through ',the oyen""II and'between the feeding means 22 andthe discharge means 23 are-apluralityofpairs of guide rails or'bars,21 and 28 having their adjacentedge portions spaced apart to ,provide an .elongatedslot or passage 29at opposite sides of the .conveyor .I4 and extending substantiallyparallel thereto.

Mounted Von the conveyor I4 andextending .laterally therefrom andlalternately at opposite sidesthereof are a plurality o f spring coilpick-up and. supporting pins 3| adapted to project through the slots 29between the respective pairs of guide bars .2.1 and 28 .at oppositesides of the conveyor, the lpins 3| being provided at 'their outer endsand 6 as formed, preferably, by extensions of certain of the pivot pinsor bolts employed for connecting together a plurality of links 33forming the conveyor I4.

For feeding the spring coils indicated by the character S to theconveyor I4 in a manner to be picked up by the pins 3 I, the feeding orloading means 22 are positioned outside the oven I adjacent the inletopening I2 and shown, in Fig. 3,l as located at opposite sides of theconveyor in` a manner to feed the coils S thereto from both sides of theconveyor. The feeding means A22 are shown, in the present instance, ascomprising feeder belts 34 trained over pulleys 35 and having inwardlysloping trough-like chutes 36 extending between the pulleys 35 andthecone veyor I4 in a manner to direct one of the ends of the spring coilsS against the outer side portions of guide bars 21 and 28 positioned atopposite sides of the conveyor, the chutes 36 being provided with openportions adjacent their inner ends to permit the passage therethrough ofthe pins 3| in a manner to engage the end portion of the coils adjacentthe guide bars for removing Y them successively or one at a time fromthe chutes and carrying them through the inlet opening I2 and into theoven II. The spring coils,after leaving the chute 36, will be supportedin substantially horizontal position by resting against the guide bars21 and 28 and carried around the sprockets I1, IB and I5, and throughthe oven in such position and lin spaced relation with respect to eachother.` From the oven II the coils Sy are conveyed through the outletopening I3 to a pair of discharge chutes 23 positioned outside the ovenII adjacent the outlet opening I3, the discharge chutes comprisingoppositely disposed inclined side portions 31 forming a trough-likechute sloping away from the conveyor. The inner or adjacent ends of thedischarge chutes 23 are provided with oppositely disposed inclined stopplates 38 secured to the adjacent guide bars 21 and 28 at opposite sidesof the slots 29 and cooperable with the guide bars to form a notch 39 onthe upper side of the plates 38 adapted to be engaged by theinner endportion of the spring coil S in its downward movement from the oven andarrest the movement of the coil while the supporting pin 3| continuesitsdownward movement with the travel of the conveyor I4 until the pin 3|is completely disengaged from the coil S, at which time the projectingportion of the coil will drop by gravity into the chute 23 and beconducted therethrough away from the conveyor.

While, in the present instance, only one conveyor is shown in relationto the oven II, it will be understood that as many such conveyors may beoperated within and through an oven as'may be practicable.

The operation of the present invention is substantially as follows:

A plurality of spring coils S are fed to the loading chutes 36 by thebelts 34 and directed by the chutes against the guide bars 21 and 28 onthe respective sides of the conveyor I4 in a manner to be picked up oneat a time and in spaced relation with respect to each other by means ofthe supporting pins 3| on opposite sides of the conveyor and carriedupwardly through the inlet opening I2 into the oven and longitudinallythereof in one diIeCtOn,

around the sprocket I6 and longitudinally of the oven in the oppositedirection, and thence downwardly and out of the oven II through theoutlet opening I3 to the discharge chutes 23 where the movement of thespring coils is arrested by the stop plates 38 until the supporting pin3| has cleared the coil, after which the coil, when freed or disengagedfrom the supporting pin 3|, will drop into the chutes 23 and be directedthereby away from the conveyor to suitable location for furthertreatment or handling as may be desirable.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that the presentinvention provides a novel construction and arrangement whereby springcoils such, for example, as may be used in bed springs, mattresses,cushions,r or the like, may be fed to they conveyor and picked upautomatically thereby in spaced relation with respect to each other andconveyed through a tempering oven in such position and relation to eachother as Will permit the substantially uniform treatment of the springcoils, and after such treatment, the coils are automaticallydisconnected from the conveyor and directed laterally therefrom fordistribution or other handling as may be desired.

Obviously, the present invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction and arrangement shown and described as the same may bevariously modified. Moreover, all the features of they invention neednot be used conjointly as the same may be used to advantage in variouslydifferent combinations and sub-combinations.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described and in combination, a conveyor,substantially flat guide bars adjacent the respective sides of saidconveyor and extending substantially parallel thereto, and a pluralityof supporting pins on said conveyor extending laterally therefrom andtransversely to and beyond the plane of said guide bars.

2. In a device of the class described and in combination, a flexibleconveyor, a plurality of pairs of spaced substantially flat guide barsadjacent the respective sides of a run of said conveyor and extendingsubstantially parallel thereto, and a plurality of article pick-up andsupporting pins on said conveyor extending laterally therefrom atopposite sides thereof and transversely to the plane of said bars, saidpins extending between and beyond the respective pairs of guide bars.

3. In a device of the class described and in combination, a flexibleconveyor, a pair of guide bars at one side of said conveyor andextending substantially parallel thereto, an article feeding chute andan article discharge chute adjacent said bars and a plurality of articlesupporting pins on said conveyor extending laterally therefrom and intothe end portions of said chutes for removing articles from said feedingchute and depositing the articles in said discharge chute, and forsupporting the articles against said bars during the passage of thearticles from one to the other of said chutes.

4. In a device of the class described and in combination, a flexibleconveyor, a pair of spaced guide bars at one side of said conveyor andextending substantially parallel thereto, an article feeding chute andan article discharge chute adjacent said bars at the opposite sidethereof from said conveyor, and a plurality of spaced article pick-upand lsupporting pins `onvsaid conveyor extending laterally ltherefrom'between Vsaid bars sides thereof from said conveyor, anda Jplurality ofspaced article pick-up and supporting Ap'ins\'on said conveyor extendinglaterally therefrom at opposite sides thereof between the bars of therespective pairs and into the end portions of said chutes for removingarticles from said feeding chutes and depositing the articles in saiddischarge chutes, and for supporting articles against said bars at theopposite sides of the conveyor during the passage of the articles fromthe feeding chutes to the discharge chutes. i y l f6. In a device of theclass described and in combination, a exible conveyor, a pair of spacedguide bars arranged on each side of said conveyor and extendingsubstantially parallel thereto, a pair of oppositely disposed feedingchutes at the respective outer sides of said pairs of bars and havinginwardly sloping portions for directing articles against the respectivepairs ofbars, and a plurality of article pick-up and supporting pins onopposite sides of said conveyor and extending laterally therefrombetween the bars on the respective sides of the conveyor, and adapted topass through the adjacent ends of the feeding chutes in a manner toengage articles therein positioned against the respective guide bars forremoving the articles from the feeding chutes.

'7. In a device of the class described and in combination, a exibleconveyor, a pair of spaced guide bars arranged on each side of saidconveyor and extending substantially parallel thereto, a pair ofoppositely disposed feeding chutes at the respective outer sides of saidpairs of bars and having inwardly sloping trough-like portions fordirecting articles against the respective pairs of bars, and a pluralityof spaced article pick-up and supporting pins extending laterally andalternately from opposite sides of said conveyor between the bars on therespective sides of the conveyor, and adapted to pass through the adjarcent ends of the feeding chutes in a manner to engage articles thereinpositioned against the respective guide bars for removing the articlesseparately from the feeding chutes.

8. In a device of the class described and in combination, a flexibleconveyor, a pair of spaced guide bars arranged on each side of saidconveyor and extending substantially parallel thereto in a manner toform slots at opposite sides of the conveyor also extendingsubstantially parallel thereto, a plurality of spaced article supportingpins extending laterally and alternately from opposite sides of saidconveyor through said slots for supporting articles thereon and againstthe outer sides of said bars, a pair of oppositely disposed dischargechutes at the respective outer sides of said pairs of bars and havingopen portions for the passage of said pins through the adjacent ends ofthe discharge chutes, said discharge chutes having plates adjacent saidbars for retarding the movement of the articles, and outuwardly slopingV:chute members adjacent .said platesifn-r directing the articles awayfromzsaid conveyor; 'l 1' '1 9". In a .devicezof -th'e :classy describedand in combinationpa flexibleiconveyorV'a pair of spacedguide'lbarsbarranged `on yeach side-of said conveyorandextendingusubstantially yparallel thereto .in a mannerrto 'form'slots att'opposite 'sidesof the conveyorv also extendingsubstantallyparallel thereto, afplurality of'spaced article `supportingpins extending 'laterallyf'and alternately from opposite .Vsides of saidconveyor Ythrough said slots'lfor supporting articles thereon againstthe ou-terfsides 'of said`=bars, apairof opp-ositelydisposed dischargechutes -atfthe respective outer sides fof said pairs of Vbars `and'havingopen .portions for the passage of 'said pins `,through theadjacent endsof thefdisch'argelchutes, said discharge chutes havingplates at opposite sidesof said open portions adjacent said bars andcooperable therewith to form a pair of notches for receiving a portionof the articleand retarding the movement thereof, and oppositelyinclined members adjacent said plates forming outwardly slopingtrough-like chutes for directing the articles away from said conveyor.

10. In a device of the class describedand in combination, a ilexibleconveyor, a pair of spaced substantially parallel guide bars arranged oneach side of said conveyor in a manner to form L slots extendingsubstantially parallel thereto, a

pair of oppositely disposed feeding chutes at the respective outer sidesof said pairs of bars and vhaving inwardly slopingtrough-like portionsfor directing articles against the -respective pairs of bars, aplurality of spaced article supporting pins extending laterally fromopposite sides of said conveyor and adapted to pass through the adjacentends of the feeding chutes in a manner to engage articles thereinpositioned against the respective guide bars for removing articles fromthe feeding chutes, said pins being adapted also to pass through saidslots for supporting articles on the conveyor and against the outersides of said guide bars, a pair of oppositely disposed discharge chutesat the respective outer sides of said pairs of bars and having openportions adjacent said slots for the passage of said supporting pinsthrough the adjacent ends of the discharge chutes, said discharge chuteshaving oppositely inclined stop plates at opposite sides of said slotsadjacent said bars and cooperable therewith to form a pair of notchesadjacent the respective pairs of bars for receiving a portion of thearticles an-d retarding the mo-vement thereof, and oppositely inclinedmembers adjacent said plates forming outwardly sloping trough-likechutes for directing the articles away from said conveyor after beingremoved therefrom by said stop plates. l

l1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a springcoil tempering oven having inlet and outlet openings, of a continuousflexible conveyor extending through said oven between the inlet andoutlet openings thereof for conveying coils therethrough, a pair oflaterally spaced substantially parallel guide bars extending throughsaid oven on each side of said conveyor in a manner to form elongatedslots extending substantially parallel thereto, a pair of oppositelydisposed feeding chutes outside said oven adjacent the inlet openingthereof, said chutes being positioned at the respective outer sides ofsaid pairs of bars and having inwardly sloping trough-like portions fordirecting the end portions of spring coils against the respective pairsof bars, a plurality of spaced coil supporting pins mounted on andextending laterally from opposite sides of said conveyor and adapted topass through the adjacent ends of the feeding chutes in a manner toengage the end portion of spring coils positioned therein against therespective guide bars for removing the coils from said chutes, said pinsbeing also adapted to extend through and to be moved along said slotsfor supporting the springs on opposite sides of the conveyor and againstthe outer sides of said guide bars, and a pair of oppositely dispose-ddischarge chutes outside said oven adjacent the outlet opening thereof,said discharge chutes having means associated therewith for removing thecoils from said pins and having outwardly sloping portions for directingthe coils away from said conveyor.

12. In a device of the class described and in combination, a conveyor,guide bars arranged adjacent the side of said conveyor and extendingsubstantially parallel thereto, a feeding chute at the side of saidconveyor adjacent the outer side of said bars and having inwardlysloping portions for directing spring coils against said bars at anangle thereto, and a plurality of pick-up and supporting members mountedon the side of said conveyor and extending therefrom past the outer sideof sai-d bars adjacent said feeding chute and adapted to pass through anadjacent portion of the chute in a manner to engage an outer convolutionof a spring coil in said chute positioned against the guide bars forremoving the spring from said chute.

FRANK N. SCHINDLER.

